Retractable safety belts



Aug. 9, 1966 R. G. BOARD ET RETRACTABLE SAFETY BELTS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 4, 1963 INVENTORS RICHARD e. BOARD NELSON H. SHAPIRO BY Shea 046a and Shapiea ATTORNEYS Aug. 9, 1966 Filed Oct. 4, 1963 R. G. BOARD ET AL RETRACTABLE SAFETY BELTS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORSZ RICHARD 6.. BOARD NELSON H. SHAPIRO Shay, and Shea .1010 ATTORNEY-5 United States Patent Fiied Get. 4, 1963, S61. No. 313,948 11 Claims. cram-sea This invention relates to retractable safety belts, and more particularly to so-called seat belts for use in automotive vehicles.

This application discloses and claims modifications of the inventions disclosed and claimed in the applicants co-pending applications, Serial No. 273,696, filed April 17, 1963, and Serial No. 298,914, filed July 31, 1963.

Broadly speaking, the present invention is concerned with apparatus which permits the extension of a seat belt by the user, automatic retraction when the belt is released, and automatic setting of the effective belt length when the belt is placed in its operative position. As will be seen, the principles of the invention may be utilized in custom (built-in) installations such as the single loop installations disclosed in the said Serial No. 298,914, or in the conventional two-strap installations such as those disclosed in the said Serial No. 273,696. It is accordingly a principal object of the invention to provide apparatus of the foregoing type.

A further object of the invention is to provide apparatus of the foregoing type utilizing positive metal-to-metal locking.

Another object of the invention is to provide apparatus of the foregoing type having automatic accommodation for size of person, adjustment of seat position, and changes of apparel, while preserving complete safety.

Still another object of the invention is to provide apparatus of the foregoing type which is simple and foolproof in its construction and manner of operation.

A further object of the invention is to provide apparatus of the foregoing type which may be readily anchored to the floor or to the seat.

Still another object of the invention is to provide ap paratus of the foregoing type in which the retracting de vice (for example, a spring-wound reel) never encounters collision forces.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide apparatus of the foregoing type permitting a Wide choice of type and position of retracting device.

An additional object of the invention is to provide apparatus of the foregoing type pennitting variation of the belt path.

Briefly stated, and without intent to limit the scope of the invention, one embodiment of the invention utilizes the tongue of a belt fastener to render effective a belt clamp having a fixed abutment and a reciprocating abutment. Another embodiment of the invention utilizes the tongue to render effective a belt clamp having a fixed abutment and a pivoting abutment.

The foregoing and other objects, advantages, and features of the invention and the manner in which the same are accomplished will become more readily apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description of the invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate preferred and exemplary embodiments, and wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view, partly broken away, of one embodiment of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation view of the same embodiment;

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view illustrating one operative condition of the apparatus;

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIGURE 2 and illustrating a different operative condition of the apparatus;

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view taken along line 5-5 of FIGURE 4;

FIGURES 6 and 7 are similar sectional views illustratingi different operative conditions of another embodiment; an

FIGURES 8 and 9 are similar sectional views illustrating different operative conditions of yet another embodiment.

Referring to the drawings, and initially to FIGURE 1 thereof, reference numeral 10 designates a length of seat belt strap material, such as the conventional webbing or other suitable material, one end portion of which is associated with a retracting device, such as a spring-wound reel 12 supported for rotation in a housing or mounting frame which may comprise the side plates 14. In the form shown, the other end of the webbing is attached to a fastener tongue 16 of the well known type having one or more locking openings 18. The tongue is adapted to be received by a mating latch 20, which may be of the conventional type having a pivoting latch lever 22 provided with projecitons 24 adapted to enter the openings 18 in the tongue 16. A base plate 26 (see FIGURE 5) extends between the side plates 14 and has ears 28 fixed to the respective side plates. The base plate has openings 30 aligned with the projections and the openings 18 of the tongue when the tongue is inserted into the latch mechanism. Lever 22 is biased by a spring 32 to the position illustrated. The lever may have a hollow lower portion to receive the spring, which may be wound about the pivot pin 34 of the lever in the usual manner. The base plate 26 does not extend the full Width of the side plates 14, 'but a pair of guide strips 36 fixed to the side plates 14 effectively extends the base plate by providing support for the edge portions of the tongue 16. Plates 38 fixed to the respective side plates 14 have lower edges spaced from the base plate 26 so as to define a passage into which the tongue 16 may be inserted.

In the form shown the belt passes from the reel 12 over a roller 40 rotatably supported upon the arms 42 of a yoke having a cross bar or bight 44 the lower surface of which is preferably roughened as by knurling. The yoke and roller are part of a slider which is adapted to reciprocate upon the side plates 14 by means of projections 46 extending from the arms through corresponding slots 48 in the side plates 14. It is preferred that the path of reciprocation of the slider be substantially perpendicular to the path of insertion of the tongue 16 into the latch mechanism. It is also desirable that the leading edge (relative to insertion of the tongue) of the lower portion of the cross bar 44 be chamfered or tapered as indicated at 50. The rest position (FIGURE 3) of the slider is such that the slider will be raised upon insertion of the tongue as will be seen hereinafter.

With the side plates 14 mounted vertically and the belt 10 passing from the reel 12, over the roller 41 and then downwardly, the slider will tend to maintain its lowermost position, not only under the influence of gravity,

but also under the influence of the resultant of the reel bias force and any force tending to extend the belt downwardly over the roller 40.

In an illustrative application of the apparatus just described the latch mechanism 20 and the associated apparatus supported upon the side plates 14 (which as indicated previously may be parts of a housing) may be located at one side of a bucket seat (either externally or internally of the seat), and the belt 20 may extend downwardly from the roller 40, then laterally beneath the seat through suitable guide mechanism (such as the rollers or tubing described in the said Serial No. 298,914), and then upwardly at the opposite side of the seat, where the end fixed to the tongue 16 assumes its rest position. The tongue may be prevented from retracting beyond this position simply by utilizing a tongue which is too large to enter the exit of the guide channel through which the belt passes. With the apparauts in the condition illustrated in FIGURES l-3, the belt may be extended across the lap of the user by pulling upon the tongue 16, the belt being free to unwind from the reel 12. If the tongue is now inserted into the latch mechanism 20, the end of the tongue engages the flight of the belt extending between the reel 12 and the roller 40, forces the 'belt under the cross bar 44 of the slider, and raises the slider as shown in FIGURE 4. The tongue is held in position by the latch mechanism, and any force tending to withdraw further webbing from the reel urges the slider more tightly against the webbing located between the roughened surface of the cross bar and the opposed surface of the tongue. The belt is thus tightly clamped between the cross bar and the tongue and cannot be further extended without first releasing the latch mechanism 20 and withdrawing the tongue 16. The user is thus surrounded by a loop of predetermined perimeter, and the lower or transverse leg of the loop is of fixed length determined by the guide passage beneath the seat (fixed either to the seat or to the floor). When the latch mechanism 20 is released, the tongue 16 may be withdrawn, and the reel 12 retracts the belt without impediment.

FIGURES 6 and 7 illustrate an embodiment similar to FIGURE 3 in which the tongue 16 moves an abut-ment into position under the slider, rather than constituting the abutment itself. The strips 36 for guiding the tongue have been replaced by slots 118 in the side plates 14 for guiding the ears 120 of a slidable cross bar 122. extending between the slide plates. The cross bar is normally held away from the belt 10 by a spring 124 as shown in FIG- URE 6 and is pushed into position by the tongue 16 as shown in FIGURE 7. The upper surface of the cross bar 122 may be roughened as shown. The operation of the device of FIGURES 6 and 7 will be self evident from the description with respect to FIGURE 3.

FIGURES 8 and 9 illustrate another modification of the embodiment of FIGURE 3. In this modification the tongue pushes a pivoting abutment 126 from a disengaged position shown in FIGURE 8 to an engaged position shown in FIGURE 9. The bias spring 128 normally maintains the abutment 126 away from the belt. The base plate 130 of the latch mechanism is U-shaped to accommodate the movement of the belt and the pivoting abutment. The operation of this embodiment will be fully apparent from the description with respect to FIG- URE 3. While in this embodiment and the previously described similar embodiments the slider supporting the roller 40 moves rectilinearly, it will be apparent that an arcuate or pivotal movement could also be employed.

While preferred embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that changes can be made without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined in the appended claims. Any appropriate materials, such as metal, may be used for the fasteners and other hardware, and the belts are not restricted to the usual webbing and may even have connected pieces of different material. Accordingly, the foregoing embodiments are to be considered illustrative, rather than restrictive of the invention, and those modifications which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be included therein.

The invention claimed is:

1. In a retractable seat belt or the like, a casing, a slider supported for movement in said casing and having a strap guide at one end and an abutment at the other end, a strap trained about said guide and oriented to urge said slider in a first direction, a latch mechanism supported upon said casing adjacent a flight of said strap, a fastener tongue, and means for guiding said tongue into said casing for retention by said latch mechanism and for deflecting said flight beneath said abutment, said guide means for said tongue being positioned to permit said tongue to move said slider in a direction opposite to said first direction, said strap guide comprising a roller, said casing having a spring-wound reel rotatably supported thereon, said strap extending from said reel over said roller, said tongue engaging the flight of strap between said reel and said roller, said strap extending downwardly from said roller, and said slider being supported for movement downwardly and upwardly.

2. In a retractable seat belt or the like, a casing, a slider supported for movement in said casing and having a strap guide at one end and an abutment at the other end, a retraction device, a strap having one end connected to said retraction device and being trained from said retraction device reversely about said guide and oriented to urge said slider in a first direction, a latch mechanism supported upon said casing adjacent a flight of said strap extending between said retraction device and said slider, a fastener element, means for guiding said element into said casing for retention by said latch mechanism, and abutment means operatively coupled to said fastener element and responsive to entry of said fastener element into said casing for moving said abutment means relative to said casing and against said flight to deflect said flight between said abutment and said abut-ment means and to move said slider in a direction opposite to said first direction.

3. The invention of claim 2, said strap guide comprising a rotating roller.

4. The invention of claim 2, said fastener element guide means being arranged to guide said fastener element along a path substantially perpendicular to the path of movement of said slider.

5. The invention of claim 2, said guide means comprising means for guiding said fastener element substantially perpendicular to said flight, said abut-ment means being integral with said fastener element at the tip thereof.

6. The invention of claim 2, said abutment means being permanently supported upon said casing and being moved by said fastener element.

7. The invention of claim 2, said strap having said fastener element fixed to its other end, said casing being adapted to be anchored at one side of a vehicle seat and.

said strap being adapted to extend beneath the user to the other side of the vehicle seat and to be pulled across the lap of the user to said casing.

8. A retractable seat belt comprising a frame adapted to be mounted at one side of a vehicle seat, a retraction device supported upon said frame, a strap connected to said device for retraction and extension and having a free end adapted to be grasped for extending said strap from said frame and across the body of a user to a userrestraining position, tension-responsive strap guide means movably supported upon and relative to said frame, and past which said strap is trained from said retraction device to said free end, for receiving a strap-tension-responsive force proportional to the retractile force of said retraction device during extension of said strap from retracted to user-restraining positions to urge said guide means to move in a predetermined direction relative to said frame, and extension-preventing means comprising a pair of elements, one of which is movable with said guide means and the other of which is relatively positioned away from said one element to be unresponsive to said tension-responsive force upon said guide means during extension of said strap from retracted to userrestraining positions and positioned adjacent to said one element to be responsive to said tension-responsive force and said movement of said guide means relative to said frame after said extension of said strap to said user-restraining position for preventing further extension of said strap.

9. The retractable seat belt of claim 8, said elements being clamp elements arranged to clamp said strap therebetween.

10. The retractable seat belt of claim 8, said retraction device comprising a reel and said strap guide means being located adjacent to said reel.

11. The retractable seat belt of claim 8, said strap guide means being supported for movement in a direc- -tion opposite to said predetermined direction preliminary to movement in said predetermined direction when said strap is placed in said user-restraining position.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 15 FRANCIS K. ZUGEL, Acting Primary Examiner.

FRANK B. SHERRY, Examiner.

R. B. FARLEY, Assistant Examiner. 

2. IN A RETRACTABLE SEAT BELT OR THE LIKE, A CASING, A SLIDER SUPPORTED FOR MOVEMENT IN SAID CASING AND HAVING A STRAP GUIDE AT ONE END AND AN ABUTMENT AT THE OTHER END, A RETRACTION DEVICE, A STRAP HAVING ONE END CONNECTED TO SAID RETRACTION DEVICE AND BEING TRAINED FROM SAID RETRACTION DEVICE REVERSELY ABOUT SAID GUIDE AND ORIENTED TO URGE SAID SLIDER IN A FIRST DIRECTION, A LATCH MECHANISM SUPPORTED UPON SAID CASING ADJACENT A FLIGHT OF SAID STRAP EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID RETRACTION DEVICE AND SAID SLIDER, A FASTENER ELEMENT, MEANS FOR GUIDING SAID ELEMENT INTO SAID CASING FOR RETENTION BY SAID LATCH MECHANISM, AND ABUTMENT MEANS OPERATIVELY COUPLED TO SAID FASTENER ELEMENT AND RESPONSIVE TO ENTRY OF SAID FASTENER ELEMENT INTO SAID CASING FOR MOVING SAID ABUTMENT MEANS RELATIVE TO SAID CASING AND AGAINST SAID FLIGHT TO DEFLECT SAID FLIGHT BETWEEN SAID ABUTMENT AND SAID ABUTMENT MEANS AND TO MOVE SAID SLIDER IN A DIRECTION OPPOSITE TO SAID FIRST DIRECTION. 